1,8-Cineole (eucalyptol) is a substance which is used in large amounts as a rhinologically active substance in pharmaceutical preparations, oral care preparations, such as toothpastes and mouthwashes, and confectionery products, such as cough sweets and chewing-gum, especially because of its property of producing a cooling-refreshing and thus clearing feeling in the region of the mouth, the throat and the airways. In addition to this effect, 1,8-cineole (eucalyptol), however, has a strong typical flavor which, because of its pronounced medicinal note, is perceived as unpleasant by many consumers.
There is, therefore a requirement for substances which, in a similar manner to 1,8-cineole (eucalyptol), produce a cooling-refreshing and thus clearing feeling as a rhinologically active compound in the region of the mouth, the throat and the airways, especially in the nasal cavity, and in the pharyngeal cavity, but which do not have such a strong and unpleasant typical taste.
The advantage of such rhinologically active substances is that they are universally usable, that is to say can be used in preparations having a multiplicity of aromas of the most varying flavor notes.
Lower alkyl ethers of isobornane, here particularly of methyl isobornyl ether (Food Chem. Toxicol. 30 (Suppl.), 53S (1992), and of bornane, for example bornyl methyl ether and bornyl ethyl ether, (U.S. Pat. No. 4,131,687) have already been known for a relatively long time as fragrance and aroma substances having fresh, herb-like, rosemary-like or eucalyptus-like sensory properties. However, because of their strong typical flavor, they cannot be used as replacement products for 1,8-cineole (eucalyptol) in the sense described above.